Chris Gallegos – Lemon Songs

I shouldn’t tell you anything about Chris Gallegos. I should just let his music speak for itself. But then, since you can’t hear the music right now and you’re unlikely to find this CD on your listening station at Tower Records, I suppose it’s the job of the music reviewer to fill you in.
Chris is a young man who is currently in several bands. It’s obvious he’s still looking for the best outlet for his music, and my guess is this solo work is it. These songs, all except one recorded live at a coffee house with backing musicians, were recorded in Chris’ bedroom with a 4-track recorder. Despite the limitations of the 4-track, Chris did an admirable job at making these full songs, even singing his own backup. While they all tend to the softer, more acoustic side, they don’t resemble folk but rather come across as some soft rock songs that are more about the heartfelt lyrics and Chris’ strong vocals.
“You Don’t Even Know” is a finely crafted soft-rock song. There’s some nice acoustic guitar, some stellar picking, some handclaps and shakers. It’s pretty and still full. “Tomorrow Was a Good Day” also highlights Chris’ guitar talents, with some subtle yet intricate guitar. This one’s a bit more upbeat, with a catchy chorus and very heartfelt lyrics. “Days Past” picks up the pace a bit, lending a bit more intensity. The combination of the almost classically picked guitar – very subtly done – and the strummed acoustic guitar in “Turnaround” is very impressive. “Understanding” is probably the most heartfelt, and Chris’ voice shines best here in this softer, more mellow track. The live “Pinnochio” is pretty much all instrumental. The production isn’t the best, but it has some amazing electric guitar (from Chris). And finally, “Only You Matter” only suffers from the production, but it has the feel of being one of the most complete songs, and the vocals are perfect for the deep lyrics.
So forget that you haven’t heard of Chris Gallegos. That’s the beauty of the Internet, a nearly free way to promote yourself to the masses and to find out about new music. These mostly acoustic songs are crafted with a maturity that belies Chris’ age, and it shows a tremendous amount of talent. And they stand up perfectly well on their own. So drop Chris an e-mail, I’m sure he’d be happy to share his songs with you.